AIBU to ask what you have left monthly after bills?

[Manth0914]

Hi all, I know this is a VERY broad question but AIBU to ask what you have left each month after all bills. Money you use for food, fuel, clothes and so on? I ask as a single income mum of 2 with a part time job. Just wondering with the way things are how people are getting on?

That’s very worthwhile, apologies for any offence

Enough.

A mixture of commitment and right place, right time.

I work in the private sector for a plc in an industry sector that has grown significantly over the last 15/20 years.

I have been with my current employer for over 10 years now and have had what were invariably organic promotions as the business expanded. We are probably 10 times the size we were in revenue terms compared with a decade ago which meant that senior exec roles expanded in line with that over time.

People who were functions directors 10 years ago in a much smaller business are now earning 3 or 4 times as much don’t similar level albeit expanded roles in a larger organisation.

When I first joined the company I don’t think I envisaged being in the position I am 10 years later however I am of course very pleased how things works out.

One other unrelated and again fortunate factor that helped me significantly was the timing of everything. When we bought our house we had a mortgage with an interest rate below 1%. This coincided with career take off and allowed us to clear the mortgage without paying hardly any interest.

I have no desire to build up huge sums of cash beyond what I need so I plan to retire before my DS starts secondary school and will have enough to fund a comfortable life from then on without ever working again.

Absolutely insulting. Apparently theyve made a big thing of paying it on time this year unlike every year where its never on time and then back paid. As if we're supposed to be grateful for that.

I'm on 2.5k a month (ill health retirement). Single person as both my DC have moved out.
Doing quick maths in my head I spend 1.5k on bills. The rest is 50 for petrol, 200 for food, 30 for cat food.

£700 left over.

Yep, it brings out all “£100k salary isn’t that much” types

We shouldn’t be snipping at each other - it is nobody on this threads fault that there is such a discrepancy across incomes.

Live alone
bills about £1550 including everything (food, fuel etc)
take home about £1800 so £250 should be left but it always goes on something

But if she didnt claim it, that doesnt mean that others will get more.

Someone has asked a question to which others including myself have answered.

why does it cause bad feeling? You can’t control what other people do/earn so no need to consider them or compare

It took me a long time to get to a position of actually having a disposable income, its not all roses & easy. Spent a long time wondering when life was going to get better. Should we refuse better jobs/promotions/bettering ourselves to stay at the no disposable income stage in case it upsets someone?

Its all relative, I don’t earn anywhere near what some who have posted in here or generally on mumsnet but I don’t let it get me down, its not my concern.

comparison is the thief of all joy.

Why? They are normal amounts. Average salary is around £38k, two income of average salaries are £76k. A large chunk of the population will earn more. We have two above average salaries but not huge, but added together we have a joint income of £120k, with left over after bills of around £3k. That’s not unusual.

I think you could have specified your/our category here single mothers with 2 kids or just single mothers

Not sure but rent council tax electricity and heating oil , electricity internet and insurances around £2300 then cards around £300 then food around £700 , petrol £300 so around £300 left . Mum to 3

Ah ah, nothing. Literally, I live in the red. Paycheck to paycheck.

Nothing

Dual income, mortgage paid off and child is an adult who has recently graduated and is working FT.

Our stage of life is different to you and I have never been in your position.

After bills, we have approx 3.4k left per month.

About £700 would be more if I didn’t have a bad spending habit of buying clothes on credit 😆

Single and no children and left with about 3,500 after bills. Try and save about 2,500. I’m saving for a house.
I’m very fortunate for this salary and have also previously been in debt and struggling, so I don’t take it for granted.

I know it is. You need to stop being so ridiculously narrow minded.

I love the simplicity here . It would be easy to fritter away£167 but you have your head screwed on .

Is that correct? The BBC published yesterday that the UK national average household gross income of £55,000.

@UnhappyHobbiti think average salary of £38k a year will be based on average full time salary whereas the average household income of £55k a year will be taking into account all those people who work part time. So if you had an average salary of £38k a year but worked 3 days a week that's ~£23k a year as your household income.

Wow ...... amazing amount left over

Thank you, I’m doing my best with the little I do have!

I consider food shopping and fuel a bill, so that comes out of our account for household expenses, as do things like days out or dc’s activities.

Generally, I have about £1000 a month that doesn’t go into the account for bills. Some of that does end up going on necessary expenses (additional fuel, unexpected repair, food shopping for a family event that’s a one off). So it’s not like I have £1000 every month to spend on clothes and my brows (I have never had my brows done 🤣 and I might buy clothes once a year when I absolutely must). Generally, it goes on medicine and parking and hobbies and vet bills and at the moment, I’m taking a work related qualification that I pay for myself that’s like £300 a month.

I’m not a single parent though and I’d consider us quite comfortable.